Siege Sideswipe
Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2019 1:20 pm
Name : Sideswipe
Allegiance : Autobot
The latest round of 1980s Transformers refresh products has launched in the shape of Siege, which judging by the branding, looks set to roll into another loose trilogy in the vein of the recently concluded Combiner Wars/ Titans Return/ Power Of The Primes. These were some of the most well-received Transformers lines of recent times, offering up an explosion of full on re-imaginings of characters from the franchise, which is what 'the fans' have wanted ever since the Classics line kicked off over 10 years ago. It probably also makes good business sense for Hasbro, having seen a number of bootleggers turn out toys based on their intellectual property. If I'm honest though, whilst it's been great to pick up new versions of characters I like, I can't pretend that the end product has been particularly satisfying. In an era where toys are generally in decline and manufacturing costs are high, it's lead to a lot of flimsy and weak feeling toys that haven't felt worth the effort as corners are clearly cut to keep costs down. Will Siege be any different?
The sell with this line is to keep things centred around the war on Cybertron, the idea being that no-one has anything approaching an Earthen alt-mode (because why would you?), although the familiar silhouettes have been retained. Whilst Sideswipe and Hound immediately caught my eye, as they looked very very good, I don't know how much longer Hasbro can keep recycling the same old core 1980s characters. Each of the figures comes in an annoying wedge shaped box with some nice design and art work on the go. No bios though, just the briefest cross-sell with other products from the line (the disappointingly expensive new Targetmasters, in this case).
Robot mode: Out of the box, Sideswipe stands about 5” tall and represents a further shrinkage in the Deluxe size class back to the days of the original RID line. This is no bad thing, as the smaller size seems to have meant the design and engineering is tidied up, and there's a lot less of the hollowness and very little honeycombing on show. This is good. It means Sideswipe feels tough and dense and a quality piece of work. The sculpting is clean and very well done and there's a good balance of different coloured plastics and paint to bring the guy to life. The figure takes his design cues straight from the 1980s toy and is the epitome of 'geewun with knees'. He is essentially what I think most people expect from the whole CHUG ethos – just a very well done update of a classic character. His rifle being able to split in two to give you a pistol and shoulder cannon is a nice touch too.
Alternate Mode: I like what Hasbro have done here, keeping a recognisable alternate mode but tweaking it just a little to make it look alien. It's very smart and looks excellent. The space Lamborghini is very swish and sporty looking. It feels very compact and isn't wanting for paint apps. The rims are nicely done in silver and the headlights have been painted up. The clear smoked canopy looks excellent and I like the shimmery gunmetal on the engine intakes. Sadly, the thing doesn't roll at all. There's just not enough clearance for the wheels to reach the ground, so he kinds of rests on all the tucked up robo-junk underneath.
Marks out of ten for the following:
Transformation design: The figure takes the familiar bonnet chested robot to car transformation but just adds in some nice touches to tidy up areas like the knees and abdomen. Everything tucks away cleanly and easily and it's a fun process. The only major failing is to not give the wheels suitable clearance, leaving the alt-mode something nice to look at, but can't really be played with. This is a shame as it takes away from the whole premise of having a '2 in 1' toy. 5/10
Durability: Sideswipe feels nice and solid and a quality bit of kit. Nothing feels like it's going to break or warp. 10/10
Fun: As an action figure, Sideswipe is fantastic. He looks good, poses well and has a design that's aged very well. Just a shame about the vehicle mode. 7/10
Aesthetics: A polished and well executed update of the 1980s toy, Sideswipe does look the business. The Siege line has come in for some criticism for its Warhammer style 'battle damage' paint effects. Sideswipe keeps this to a minimum with just some nice looking dry brushing on his robot mode shins. 10/10
Articulation: Pretty much standard for a Deluxe toy these days. He does have some slight movement in his neck, thanks to a transformation joint which allows him to look up. There's crazy movement in the arms, especially around the shoulders and biceps. He has a waist swivel, and good hip and knee joints. There's no wrist or ankle joints, but he doesn't miss them. 8/10
Value/ Price: I paid £19.99 for Sideswipe through IDToys, which seems to be the standard online price for new Deluxe Transformers. Might be worth holding out to see what the regular RRP will be, as I suspect it may be more around the £16 - £17 mark. I'm happy with the price I paid though as Sideswipe hasn't disappointed and is a quality piece of work 9/10
Overall: Is there a Transformer more vanilla than Sideswipe? He's a solid enough character with a string of decent toys, but never seems to get the pulse racing. In terms of his toys, he's always outshone by his mold-mate Red Alert or by his own sexy Generation 2 repaint, both of whom have much more interesting decos. This version goes some way to put him front and centre and is probably the best modern version of Sideswipe we've had. Despite the flaws with the alt mode, he's well worth your time and money. 8/10
Allegiance : Autobot
The latest round of 1980s Transformers refresh products has launched in the shape of Siege, which judging by the branding, looks set to roll into another loose trilogy in the vein of the recently concluded Combiner Wars/ Titans Return/ Power Of The Primes. These were some of the most well-received Transformers lines of recent times, offering up an explosion of full on re-imaginings of characters from the franchise, which is what 'the fans' have wanted ever since the Classics line kicked off over 10 years ago. It probably also makes good business sense for Hasbro, having seen a number of bootleggers turn out toys based on their intellectual property. If I'm honest though, whilst it's been great to pick up new versions of characters I like, I can't pretend that the end product has been particularly satisfying. In an era where toys are generally in decline and manufacturing costs are high, it's lead to a lot of flimsy and weak feeling toys that haven't felt worth the effort as corners are clearly cut to keep costs down. Will Siege be any different?
The sell with this line is to keep things centred around the war on Cybertron, the idea being that no-one has anything approaching an Earthen alt-mode (because why would you?), although the familiar silhouettes have been retained. Whilst Sideswipe and Hound immediately caught my eye, as they looked very very good, I don't know how much longer Hasbro can keep recycling the same old core 1980s characters. Each of the figures comes in an annoying wedge shaped box with some nice design and art work on the go. No bios though, just the briefest cross-sell with other products from the line (the disappointingly expensive new Targetmasters, in this case).
Robot mode: Out of the box, Sideswipe stands about 5” tall and represents a further shrinkage in the Deluxe size class back to the days of the original RID line. This is no bad thing, as the smaller size seems to have meant the design and engineering is tidied up, and there's a lot less of the hollowness and very little honeycombing on show. This is good. It means Sideswipe feels tough and dense and a quality piece of work. The sculpting is clean and very well done and there's a good balance of different coloured plastics and paint to bring the guy to life. The figure takes his design cues straight from the 1980s toy and is the epitome of 'geewun with knees'. He is essentially what I think most people expect from the whole CHUG ethos – just a very well done update of a classic character. His rifle being able to split in two to give you a pistol and shoulder cannon is a nice touch too.
Alternate Mode: I like what Hasbro have done here, keeping a recognisable alternate mode but tweaking it just a little to make it look alien. It's very smart and looks excellent. The space Lamborghini is very swish and sporty looking. It feels very compact and isn't wanting for paint apps. The rims are nicely done in silver and the headlights have been painted up. The clear smoked canopy looks excellent and I like the shimmery gunmetal on the engine intakes. Sadly, the thing doesn't roll at all. There's just not enough clearance for the wheels to reach the ground, so he kinds of rests on all the tucked up robo-junk underneath.
Marks out of ten for the following:
Transformation design: The figure takes the familiar bonnet chested robot to car transformation but just adds in some nice touches to tidy up areas like the knees and abdomen. Everything tucks away cleanly and easily and it's a fun process. The only major failing is to not give the wheels suitable clearance, leaving the alt-mode something nice to look at, but can't really be played with. This is a shame as it takes away from the whole premise of having a '2 in 1' toy. 5/10
Durability: Sideswipe feels nice and solid and a quality bit of kit. Nothing feels like it's going to break or warp. 10/10
Fun: As an action figure, Sideswipe is fantastic. He looks good, poses well and has a design that's aged very well. Just a shame about the vehicle mode. 7/10
Aesthetics: A polished and well executed update of the 1980s toy, Sideswipe does look the business. The Siege line has come in for some criticism for its Warhammer style 'battle damage' paint effects. Sideswipe keeps this to a minimum with just some nice looking dry brushing on his robot mode shins. 10/10
Articulation: Pretty much standard for a Deluxe toy these days. He does have some slight movement in his neck, thanks to a transformation joint which allows him to look up. There's crazy movement in the arms, especially around the shoulders and biceps. He has a waist swivel, and good hip and knee joints. There's no wrist or ankle joints, but he doesn't miss them. 8/10
Value/ Price: I paid £19.99 for Sideswipe through IDToys, which seems to be the standard online price for new Deluxe Transformers. Might be worth holding out to see what the regular RRP will be, as I suspect it may be more around the £16 - £17 mark. I'm happy with the price I paid though as Sideswipe hasn't disappointed and is a quality piece of work 9/10
Overall: Is there a Transformer more vanilla than Sideswipe? He's a solid enough character with a string of decent toys, but never seems to get the pulse racing. In terms of his toys, he's always outshone by his mold-mate Red Alert or by his own sexy Generation 2 repaint, both of whom have much more interesting decos. This version goes some way to put him front and centre and is probably the best modern version of Sideswipe we've had. Despite the flaws with the alt mode, he's well worth your time and money. 8/10